I take my insulin all of the time, but it is the blood sugars with which I am having a hard time dealing. Sometimes, I don't check my blood sugar, but 98% of the time I take my insulin. Is there anything I can do to get myself back on track?

Answer:

You have asked a great question. A lot of teens struggle with this same issue. First of all, I would suggest that you discuss this issue with your diabetes health care team. They may have some ideas of how to help motivate you to get on track. Another idea that has worked for some teens is to let a parent help with some of the diabetes management tasks. For example, maybe it would be okay if a parent reminds you to check your blood sugar before breakfast in the morning or at dinner time. Some teens have found it helpful to set their cell phone alarm to remind them to check their blood sugar. Also, if you are getting 98% of your insulin, that is great. It might be good to try and get in the habit of always checking a blood sugar before you get insulin and, then, you can also adjust your insulin based on the blood sugar if that is what your health care team is recommending. Finally, some teens have also found it helpful to meet with a licensed mental health counselor to discuss how to get their motivation back to check blood sugars. Being a teen can be very stressful, so other stresses related to school, friends, family, etc. can interfere with diabetes management tasks like blood sugar checking. This may also be something you want to discuss with your diabetes health care team.

Additional comments from Dr. Stuart Brink:

It's very dangerous to not know your blood sugar levels since you then cannot make reasonable decisions about insulin, food, activity, etc. Why not discuss this with your family or your diabetes team and see what they think? Often, not doing blood glucose levels is a way of denying that you have diabetes and have to deal with all the hassles of diabetes. You may also want to discuss this with a therapist or counselor. If you are concerned about why this continues, then what do you want to do about this worry? What is one single thing that you would be willing to change to help change things?

Last Updated: Tuesday April 06, 2010 15:10:06
This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional.